Spacetime/Inflation/Civilizations

From: Spudboy100@aol.com
Date: Tue Feb 25 2003 - 23:00:21 MST

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    Re-Posting*************************
    http://xxx.lanl.gov/list/gr-qc/new

    physics/0302071 [abs, pdf] :

    Title: Philosophical Implications of Inflationary Cosmology
    Authors: Joshua Knobe, Ken D. Olum, Alexander Vilenkin
    Comments: 24 pages
    Subj-class: Physics and Society; History of Physics

    Recent developments in cosmology indicate that every history having a nonzero
    probability is realized in infinitely many distinct regions of spacetime.
    Thus, it appears that the universe contains infinitely many civilizations
    exactly like our own, as well as infinitely many civilizations that differ
    from our own in any way permitted by physical laws. We explore the
    implications of this conclusion for ethical theory and for the doomsday
    argument. In the infinite universe, we find that the doomsday argument
    applies only to effects which change the average lifetime of all
    civilizations, and not those which affect our civilization alone.

    > http://xxx.lanl.gov/list/gr-qc/new
    >
    > physics/0302071 [abs, pdf] :
    >
    > Title: Philosophical Implications of Inflationary Cosmology
    > Authors: Joshua Knobe, Ken D. Olum, Alexander Vilenkin
    > Comments: 24 pages
    > Subj-class: Physics and Society; History of Physics
    >
    > Recent developments in cosmology indicate that every history having a
    > nonzero probability is realized in infinitely many distinct regions of
    > spacetime. Thus, it appears that the universe contains infinitely many
    > civilizations exactly like our own, as well as infinitely many
    > civilizations that differ from our own in any way permitted by physical
    > laws. We explore the implications of this conclusion for ethical theory and
    > for the doomsday argument. In the infinite universe, we find that the
    > doomsday argument applies only to effects which change the average lifetime
    > of all civilizations, and not those which affect our civilization alone.
    >
    >
    >



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